REAL
NAME: Cyndi Ann Stephanie
LauperBIRTHDAY: June 22, 1953BIGGEST
SINGLE: "Time After Time" (1984) BIGGEST
LP: She's So Unusual (1984)GRAMMY
AWARDS: 2 "Cross-gender
dressing has been going on since the
beginning of time. I never saw what
the fuss was anyway. Now with RuPaul,
it's great. Sometimes you might look
at someone and think, "My
God." But you have to know them
to know if they're good or bad. It's
not if they wear a funny dress or
something." - Cyndi
Lauper, 1997

TIMELINE

Cyndi (Ann Stephanie) Lauper was
born in Queens, New York on June 20, 1953.
Although Cyndi might be best known for her
wild costumes and video antics of the 80s,
she has shown that she wasn't just a fad of
the 80s. Her music has matured as she herself
as matured, and in the 90s, Cyndi Lauper
continues to bring her brand of music to
audiences around the world. Cyndi's talent
for music began at the age of 12 when she
learned to play the guitar and creating
lyrics. Cyndi eventually dropped out of high
school and starting singing in local clubs
and songwriting. She played with a few cover
bands (Doc West, Flyer) playing Top 40 music,
and in 1977, Cyndi severely
damaged her vocal cords. Cyndi had to spend a
year of "voice therapy" to regain
her vocals. Before Cyndi hit it big as a solo
artist, she recorded an LP in 1980
with the group Blue Angel. The group had some
marginal success in New York, but eventually
disbanded and Cyndi was forced to file for
bankruptcy. Cyndi continued to play local
clubs, but this time as a solo artist.

Cyndi signed with Portrait
Records and began work on her first solo LP.

In addition to her Grammy, Cyndi
won an American Music Awards for Favorite
Female Pop/Rock Vocalist and Video. Cyndi was
also named Best New Artist and Best Female
Video Artist by Rolling Stone
magazine. The magazine also ranked She's
So Unusualas the 75th Greatest
Album of the 80s.

Cyndi also hit the Top 10 with
"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" from
the film The
Goonies.

Cyndi's follow-up LP, True
Colors, was released and gave Cyndi
her fourth #1 hit, "True Colors" in
October. The LP showed more of Cyndi's softer
side which gained some fans, and turned off
others. Cyndi got some help on True
Colors from such artists as the Bangles,
Billy
Joel, and Aimme Mann.
The LP was also co-produced by Cyndi and
received a Grammy nomination for the title
track.

Hat
Full Of Stars was released and did not
produce any Top 40 pop hits, but was received
generously by the critics as showcasing
Cyndi's talent. Cyndi had also co-produced
the LP, co-wrote all the LP's tracks and
directed several videos from the LP.

Cyndi released Sisters
Of Avalon. Again, the LP was warmly
received by critics but did not sell well
with music fans.

Cyndi toured some of 1997 with Tina
Turner's "Wildest Dreams"
tour and made appearances supporting her LP,
all the while pregnant with her first child.

In interviews, Cyndi has stated
that the reduced success her LPs have shown
is understandable but more of a concern to
her is being able to play the music she
wishes to create. "When I did Hat
Full Of Stars it was very difficult for me
because that kind of music wasn't being made.
And then Alanis
Morissette came along and she made it
possible for me to do the kind of music I
wanted to do. All of a sudden using drum
loops and playing harmonica - that wasn't
weird. It makes it easier for me. We all open
doors for each other."

Cyndi gave birth to a 9-pound
boy, Declyn Wallace Lauper. A spokesperson
for Lauper said the baby was delivered
"full natural... no drugs."

Cyndi talked with Jam!Music
about her gay fans: "I love the
community. I embrace it... You got to stick
by your friends and family and stand up for
them, because in a world that's run by fear
of anybody who's different, you got to be
there and have their backs covered... because
if you don't, all the fearful people take
over and everything is run by fear, just
because people are a little different."

Cyndi was featured on VH1's Divas
Live. As debate over gay marriage
began, Cyndi told The
Advocate: "When any two people love
one another and are committed to one another,
they should be allowed to marry. It's a shame
that our president is such a narrow-minded
person. He needs to be out in November."

Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound
samples).